Pashtun nationalist leader from Balochistan Mehmood Khan Achakzai has thrown his hat into the ring for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for March 9.
Achakzai, who heads the Pakhtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), submitted his nomination papers on Saturday to contest against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari.
Advocate Farooq H. Naek filed the nomination papers on behalf of Zardari, who is being supported by the PML-N-led eight-party coalition, following an understanding reached post the February 8 elections.
On the other hand, Sardar Latif Khosa of PTI submitted the papers for Achakzai, the candidate of the PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance.
Former president Zardari’s proposer and seconder are Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Farooq Naek, respectively. Meanwhile, PTI’s Asad Qaiser and Ali Mohammad Khan fulfill the roles for Achakzai.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq is overseeing the election proceedings, where MNAs and senators will cast their votes. The polling for the presidential election will also take place in all four provincial assemblies.
Other contenders, Asghar Ali Mubarak, Abdul Qadoos, and Waheed Ahmed Kamal, have also submitted their nomination papers, although there are expectations that their papers might face rejection due to technical grounds.
Nomination requirements demand proposers and seconders to be voters nominated by members of the country’s legislatures.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to scrutinize the nomination forms on March 4, with the final list of candidates to be issued the following day.
The election itself is scheduled for March 9, in line with Article 41(4) of the Constitution, necessitating the election within 30 days after the general elections.
Following his nomination by PTI, Achakzai sought support from JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
